1/ Brexit and sovereignty
2/ Much has been made by Brexiters about the need to reclaim sovereignty and be a self determining nation accountable only to the UK public
3/ Putting aside the fact that Parliament has always been sovereign (as the Government confirmed in its White Paper)
4/ Brexit seems to have one been long exercise in Government avoiding accountability
5/ There was the court case involving @thatginamiller where Government tried to bypass Parliament
6/ There was the lack of safeguards attached to Parliament granting @theresa_may the power to start the article 50 process
7/ There was the ongoing shambles (or let's be honest, deceit) by @DavidDavisMP as to the detailed impact assessments undertaken by @dexeu which were then only reluctantly published and which a large majority of MPs apparently still have not bothered to read
8/ There was the attempted use of Henry 8 powers to let individual ministers decide future laws without scrutiny
9/ There has been the repeated attempt by @theresa_may to avoid giving a "running commentary" on the most important issue facing the country
10/ There has been over two years of lying about how easy Brexit would be and that there would be a Brexit dividend. That is not being accountable to the public for what is being proposed - it is deceitful behaviour
11/ There has been the publication of over 100 no deal notices which essentially put the onus on the public and private business to take their own mitigation measures
(Compared with the detailed advice and funding provided by the Irish Government)
(Compared with the detailed advice and funding provided by the Irish Government)
12/ There were the repeated attempts to close down a Scottish court asking the ECJ to determine whether one can revoke an article 50 notice
This is basically the Government trying to close down awareness of options available to the UK.
This is basically the Government trying to close down awareness of options available to the UK.
13/ The Government also tried to argue that its reasons for having that reference to the ECJ needed to be kept secret
14/ Then there is ongoing saga of whether @theresa_may blocked an investigation into @Arron_banks and apparently that information cannot be disclosed because it would undermine Government's ability to formulate policy
15/ Then there are the multiple breaches of electoral law and ongoing criminal investigations by @NCA_UK but largely silence from Parliament as to how that impacts their decision making
16/ Then there is the ongoing silence about the extent to which Russian may have interfered in the referendum and to what extent the Government is pursuing a Brexit policy that promotes Russian foreign policy but not the UK national interest
17/ If MPs want to be accountable because Brexit is all about sovereignty and being accountable don't their decisions need to be made based on all available information and in the national interest?
18/ Then you have some MPs running their own trade ideas - like @OwenPaterson and @DavidDavisMP moonlighting about a UK/Oklahoma trade deal. Should not all other MPs be challenging what they are doing?
19/ Then you have the multiple opaque organisations emerging from 55 Tufton Street and the undue influence they seem to have on Government thinking. Where is the transparency and accountability?
20/ Then you have the likes of @BorisJohnson @DavidDavisMP @SteveBakerHW @SuellaBraverman @DominicRaab all banging the Brexit drum but resigning at the earliest opportunity and sniping from the sidelines. Where is the accountability - it is what you wanted to have?
21/ And now 4.5 months from the day we leave the EU you have a withdrawal deal that satisfies no-one and no safeguards in place to prevent the UK crashing out without a deal
22/ There remains a refusal to give Parliament or the public a free vote on whether to accept the terms of the withdrawal deal or to remain in the EU - which is odd because Government should be accountable to the country as to whether the deal it proposes leaves us better off
23/ So there we have it - for those that claim Brexit was about becoming a self-determining nation accountable to its people, those in power seek to avoid accountability at every turn. What are they scared of?
24/ The will of the people? That mantra seems to have substituted all accountability for taking decisions that leave the UK better off
